EUR

Exchange rates:

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

Communications
Ireland

Telephones - main lines in use:

2.112 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

4.94 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay domestic: microwave radio relay international: country code - 353; landing point for the Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable with links to the US, Canada, and UK; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:

2.55 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

4 (many repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:

1.82 million (2001)

Internet country code:

.ie

Internet hosts:

1.242 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

22 (2000)

Internet users:

1.708 million (2007)

Transportation
Ireland

Airports:

34 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 5 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 16 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 1,855 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 3,237 km broad gauge: 1,872 km 1.600-m gauge (37 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 96,602 km paved: 96,602 km (includes 200 km of expressways) (2003)

Waterways:

956 km (pleasure craft only) (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 29 by type: cargo 25, chemical tanker 2, container 1, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 2 (US 2) registered in other countries: 21 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 1, Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 3, Isle of Man 1, Marshall Islands 1, Netherlands 10, Slovakia 1, UK 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Cork, Dublin, Shannon Foynes

Military
Ireland

Military branches:

Irish Defense Forces (Oglaigh na h-Eireann): Army (includes Naval
Service and Air Corps (Aer-Chor na h-Eireann)) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

17-25 years of age for male or female voluntary military service (17-27 years of age for the Naval Service); enlistees 16 years of age can be recruited for apprentice specialist positions; maximum obligation 12 years; 17-35 years of age for the Reserve Defense Forces; EU citizenship or 5-year residence in Ireland required (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,024,635 females age 16-49: 1,024,276 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 854,982 females age 16-49: 852,592 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 28,610 female: 27,095 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues
Ireland

Disputes - international:

Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe
Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; increasing consumption of South American cocaine; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money laundering - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

@Isle of Man

Introduction
Isle of Man

Background: